It is known that, in a recent communication system using industrial equipment, monitoring and controlling of the system are performed not by a dedicated manipulation panel but by a terminal device such as a tablet computer. In addition, there is known a communication system for improving operability using a tablet computer that realizes an intuitive manipulation.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique related to the monitoring and controlling of a system using a tablet computer is disclosed. In this technique, equipment conditions of a machine tool transferred from a communication interface (I/F) via a CPU are displayed on a display of the tablet computer as a control panel screen, and the content of control circuit data of a PLC transferred from the communication I/F via the CPU is displayed on the display thereof as a monitoring screen.
In addition, for example, Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique for an industrial equipment control system that allows a tablet computer to access data accumulated in a server via a wireless communication signal transmitter, and transmit an operation command to each of a plurality of programmable controllers.
Further, there is known a technique for performing a manipulation of a tablet computer by using a dedicated hardware manipulation system.
For example, in Patent Literature 3, it is disclosed that a cradle as an accommodation unit is provided, and electronic equipment is accommodated in the cradle.
Furthermore, for example, Patent Literature 4 discloses a technique regarding information processing equipment that includes information processing equipment main body and detachable slave equipment having a network I/F and the like.
Additionally, for example, Patent Literature 5 discloses a technique of a cradle detachably provided to a portable device.